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Adams elementary
School
handbook
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GENERAL INFORMATION
- Classes begin
on Wednesday,
August 20, 2008.
- School hours
are 8:20am to 2:25pm.
- Grades 1-4
have early out each MONDAY at 1:25pm (Teacher’s weekly prep time).
- If your child
is absent for any reason, please call our office before 9:00 to let us
know. The school number is 359-3335.
- Lunch times
vary according to grade level. Generally, lunch will be from 12:00 noon —12:45p.m.
- Lunch tickets
are $1.75 per day for children and adult lunches can be purchased for
$2.60. We encourage parents to complete the application form for free
or reduced lunch as this benefits our school. Students will receive a
lunch card that is kept here at school and scanned. You can send a check
to either the school or the district school lunch office to pay for
lunches and it will be added to you child’s
account.
- Students
living 1-1/2 miles or more from the school may ride the bus. Contact
Mrs. Mary Ann Neilson at 359-3300 with specific questions. All
kindergarten students may be bussed regardless of distance.
- Parents can
purchase a student accident insurance benefit plan through the school.
Rates are very reasonable. The insurance is good for school hours and
throughout the school year.
- Please impress
upon your child that it is important to take home the notes from
school so that you will be aware of calendar additions, changes, and
other important matters.
- Do not
hesitate to ask questions of the teacher or express your concerns to
her. Close cooperation between the school and home is vital to your child’s success in school.
- Our office has
an "open door" policy and we invite you to call or come in.
We want to know how you like our school and welcome your comments. Our
phone number is 359-3335.
- We encourage
the use of book bags or backpacks by all of our students.
- Adams School requests a
$20.00 fee from parents to provide each student with school supplies
and to pay for activities. Students do not need to bring any school
supplies.
- We encourage you
to help your student feel a sense of responsibility to care for the
books from our library and return them on time. There will be a $.05
per day charge for books that are late. Books that are lost will have
to be replaced at a cost to the parent.
- Kindergarten
teachers have a monthly in-service, and there is NO kindergarten on
this day (Please check the district calendar).
Let's
join together for a terrific year!
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Dear
Parent(s) or Guardian:
Welcome to an exciting new school year at Adams Elementary. A variety of
special programs and activities have been planned for your child this year.
We're also providing many opportunities for you to become more involved
with your child's experiences at school. By working as a team, we can make
this the most enjoyable and rewarding year yet!
Throughout the school year, your child's teacher and I will be making a
special effort to stay in touch with you. We will keep you informed of your
child's progress and of school activities. Look for papers coming home from
school each day--newsletters, invitations, updates, tips and reminders.
Your communication with us is very important, too. Please don't hesitate to
contact your child's teacher or me whenever you have a question or concern,
or need information. The school phone number is 359-3335.
One way you can start giving your support is to take a little time daily to
talk with your child about his or her school day. Ask about homework
assignments, friends and special activities. Your interest in your child's
academic and social experiences at school can be a great motivator for
learning. Let your child see that you are working together with the school
to help make this a terrific school year in every way.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Jeff Hawkes, Principal
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Adams
Elementary PTO Board
Welcome to Adams School.
Your PTO Board and school principal have compiled this booklet to help you
become familiar with your school. We are looking forward to working with
you this year.
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President
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Kari Bowman
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359-1714
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Vice President
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Beth Dummar
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709-0434
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Secretary/Treasure
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Amber Moore
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356-8993
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Teacher Appreciation
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Candace Ririe
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656-9233
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Newsletter
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Devani Corpany
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356-5861
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Field Day
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Beth Dummar
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709-0434
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Bookfairs
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Wendi Erikson
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356-1112
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Box Tops
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Sarah Anderson
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356-3398
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Read-a-thon
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Julie Hinck
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356-6807
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Home Room Mothers
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Holley Gifford
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359-1344
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Halloween Carnival
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Chantelle Winegar
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356-9678
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Rebecca Johnston
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359-0974
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Clean Up Day
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Raegan Orme
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356-0314
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PTO Pictures
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Nicole Barzee
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356-6248
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The
PTO wants to remind you to use your Albertson’s
Preference Card each time you grocery shop. Also, please save your box-tops
and send them with your child to school!!
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DAILY
SCHEDULE FOR STUDENTS
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8:20 a.m
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First bell - students enter building
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8:25 a.m.
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SCHOOL BEGINS
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9:40 – 9:55 a.m.
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Recess, 1st and 2nd grades
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10:10 – 10:25 a.m
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Recess, 3rd and 4th grades
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11:05 a.m
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AM Kindergarten ends
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11:50 a.m
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PM Kindergarten starts
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12:00 a.m
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Lunch begins for students
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12:45 p.m.
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Lunch ends for all students
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2:25 p.m
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Bus students dismissed
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2:30 p.m
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SCHOOL DISMISSED
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Please call us if there is ever a question about something
concerning the school. If you hear something that doesn’t
make sense, there is usually an explanation, and if not, we should know
about it. THANKS!
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Lunch
Schedule 2006-2007
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12:00 am - 12:45 p.m.
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12:00 a.m.
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Third and fourth graders go outside for lunch recess
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12:00 a.m.
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Lunch begins for first graders
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12:05 a.m.
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Lunch begins for second graders
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12:20 p.m.
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Third graders come inside for lunch
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12:25 p.m.
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Fourth graders come inside for lunch
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12:45 p.m.
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School resumes for all grades
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Adams Elementary Mission
Statement
Adams Elementary is dedicated to providing a quality education through
which students will grow in academic achievement, respect for themselves
and others, self-discipline, integrity, honesty and responsibility. As a
school and community we feel, in order to accomplish our mission, it is
imperative that we:
- Provide a safe
learning environment.
- Demonstrate a
commitment towards standards implementation and student achievement.
- Teach basic
values.
- Teach students
how to be effective communicators.
- Teach a basic
curriculum which emphasizes Reading, Language
Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Health, Physical Education, and
Music.
- Teach
appropriate technology education.
- Provide an
opportunity for students to learn cooperative skills.
- Teach students
to be responsible citizens.
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Governing
Principles
The
decisions which will govern what is done at Adams Elementary are based on
the following principles.
- Every Student
has a right to feel safe.
- Every Student
has a right to feel respected.
- Every Student
has the right to learn at an appropriate level.
- Every Student
has a right to have clean and comfortable school facilities.
Every
Student has a right to have their school, their parents and their community
working together to meet the individual student’s
physical, emotional, social, and educational needs.
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PowerSchool Web Address
PowerSchool helps parents be in direct connection
to their child’s education. With simple internet
access, you can find out exactly how your child is performing at any given
moment. PowerSchool gives you real-time access to
grades, attendance, assignments, and more. Simply enter the web address of Madison School
District at
http://d321.k12.id.us
and then click on PowerSchool
and enter your user
name and password
and click "Go".
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Attendance/Tardy
Policy
Attendance at school is an important step in student learning. If a student
is not at school or comes late to school important concepts may not be
adequately learned. Many concepts are learned in sequence, if one part is
not learned the next part is more difficult to learn. Parents of elementary
students have the primary responsibility to assure their children attend
school and demonstrate punctuality. The school has a responsibility to
provide a safe and orderly learning environment and to provide sound instructional
concepts presented in a friendly, caring learning environment.
If a student’s tardies,
or absences are affecting his/her learning then the teacher will call the
parents to let them know that lack of attendance is negatively affecting
their child’s education. If lack of attendance
continues to be a problem then a conference will be set up including the
parents, the teacher and the principal to determine what needs to be done
to help the child be at school. Following cooperative strategies, if non-attendance
continues, school personnel reserve the right to contact legal authorities.
If a student must be absent from school, the parent is requested to call
the office between 8:00
a.m. and 9:00
a.m. to report the absence for the day.
Children
who are ill do not belong in school. When children who are slightly ill
attend school it complicates their illness and accelerates the spread of
any of the communicable diseases they may have. In case of illness or
emergency, parents or other persons designated by the parents on the
emergency contact form will be notified to pick up the student from school.
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Discipline Policy
The underlying principles of the Discipline Policy are the same as the school’s "Governing Principles" These
principles are: Every student has a right to feel safe, to feel respected,
to learn at an appropriate level, to have clean and comfortable school
facilities and to have their physical, emotional, social and educational
needs met. Any behavior that interferes with another student’s
or a teacher’s rights is not acceptable. It is
important to treat all students fairly and with respect.
It is our policy that students be held accountable for their own behavior.
If a student demonstrates inappropriate behavior he/she and a teacher or
principal will:
- Discuss with
the student what their behavior was and why it was inappropriate.
- Discuss what
other choices a student could have made.
- Discuss with
the student what the consequences will be if the student chooses to
continue inappropriate behaviors.
Notify
a parent if the student’s exhibits a pattern of
misbehavior, if the misbehavior is serious, or if it is felt a parent can
help us understand the student’s misbehavior.
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Certified
Birth Certificate Required
The requirements for identification of all new students is mandated to the
school by state law. Upon enrollment of a student for the FIRST time in an
elementary or secondary school, the school shall notify, in writing, the
person enrolling the student that within thirty days (30) he must provide
either a certified copy of the student’s birth
certificate or other reliable proof of the student’s
identity and birth date, which proof shall be accompanied by an affidavit
explaining the inability to produce a copy of the birth certificate, Idaho
Code 18-451 1.
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Immunizations
Immunization Records must be maintained by the school on each student. The
state requires a report from each school on the status of each student in
regard to minimum immunizations. Please keep your child’s
record current by notifying the school when new shots are received. If you
are unable to have your child immunized for religious, medical or personal
reasons, it is necessary that we have you sign and EXEMPT form at our
school to be put in your child’s file. Your
family physician will also need to sign the form if exemption is for
medical reasons. This exempt form or proof of adequate immunization against
eight childhood diseases must be on file with the school before a child may
attend school. In the case of an epidemic, students who are not adequately
immunized, for whatever reason, must be excluded from school until the
epidemic is over. These rules in regard to immunization are based on Idaho
laws which have recently been reviewed and updated. Immunization
requirements for attendance at school are:
- 5 Doses of
DTP, DT or TD vaccine with the last dose on or after the fourth
birthday.
- 3 Doses of
Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) or 4 doses of Inactivated (Injectable)
- Polio Vaccine
(IPV) with the last dose on or after the fourth birthday.
- 2 Dose of
Measles, Rubella & Mumps (MMR) given after one year of age.
3 Doses of Hepatitis B Vaccine for
children born after November 22, 1991.
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Getting to and from School
- Walking
Students - Many problems of behavior and supervision arise
when students congregate at school earlier than necessary. Therefore,
walking students should not arrive more that 10 minutes before time
for class to start. It is important for safety’s
sake, that students go home immediately upon
dismissal from school. Caution students against going for rides with
anyone without permission from both sets of parents. .
- Bicycles and
Scooters Students often ride bicycles and scooters to
school. Bikes and scooters need to be parked behind the school in the
bike rack upon arrival and are not to be ridden around the playground
area.
- Busing - It is very
important that the school be accountable for students during bus
transportation. Therefore, all students must ride their designated
buses unless written notification is made.If
you would like to have your student get off the bus at a different
stop, please send a note to the driver making this request. While the
school is interested in the comfort and safety of our students, we are
not directly involved in the bus routes or service. Please call Mrs. Mary
Ann Nielson at 359-3300, Ext. 3021 if you have questions.
Bus RULES include.
- Obey request
of driver promptly and willingly.
- Help in
keeping bus clean.
- Board and
unload in a safe manner.
- Find a seat
immediately and stay seated.
- Refrain from
distracting and loud noises.
Students
will be issued a ticket for inappropriate behavior as bus passengers.
Parents will be contacted. Two tickets will result in a meeting, and a
third ticket will result in a hearing with the parents and the district bus
personnel. Transportation privileges may be denied for the remainder of the
school year.
Dropping Children Off
Cars sometimes create a hazard in our parking area and surrounding street
and driveways.
- Please be
mindful of the potential for tragedy when your are
near the school.
- Avoid parking
in the bus areas and honor parking signs, crossing guards and speed
limit directions.
- Please drop
your children off at the WEST front doors.
- Do enter the
faculty parking area. This is not a drop off zone.
Picking Children Up
It has become necessary and wise to ask
parents/guardians to pick up their children in the office if it is
necessary for a child to miss part of a school day. For their own
protection, please make preparations to personally come into the office to
pick up and check out your child rather than having them wait on the corner
or outside the school.
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After
School Program
We have a free afterschool program each afternoon
until 4:10pm on Mondays and Fridays and 5:00pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and
Thursday. This program is available to all students, kindergarten through
fourth grade. We offer a variety of activities including homework study,
cultural activities, crafts, and sports. New classes begin every six weeks.
Students are required to take a homework class in order to participate in
the other fun activities. Parents need to pre-register their children to
participate in the classes. Please contact our afterschool
director, Steve Barrus at 313-5405 if you have
any questions.
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Breakfast Program
We recognize there is a need for a breakfast program at Adams. This program
is an opportunity to help those students who arrive just after 8:00am and
who would like to be served breakfast. Students need finish their breakfast
before 8:20am and arrive to class on time
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Cold
Weather
Please prepare your child for the temperatures of an Idaho winter by
dressing them properly with a heavy coat, hat, and gloves or mittens.
Please put identification tags on all children’s
clothing.
When the weather becomes extremely cold, we allow students to stay indoors.
As a rule, we carefully watch the weather, wind chill factor, and conditions
in determining if children stay indoors. We must recognize the difference
between "uncomfortable" temperatures and those that present a
health hazard.
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Student
Injuries
Even with the greatest precautions and closest supervision, accidents can
and do happen at school. They are a fact of life and a part of the
growing-up process our children go through. Parents need to be aware of
this and be prepared for possible medical expenses that may arise should
their child be injured at school. The school district does not provide
medical insurance to automatically pay for medical expenses when students
are injured at school. This is the responsibility of the parents or legal
guardians. The district carries only legal liability insurance. The
district does make student medical insurance available to families for
their individual purchase. Brochures outlining the coverage and premiums
are handed out at the beginning of the school year to parents who are
interested and are available at the school office.
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Conferences
Parent-teacher conferences will be held at the middle of the first and
second trimesters to discuss your child’s
progress in school. The staff is available to meet with parents on an
individual basis on these dates. Appointments are made by the teacher. You
will be notified prior to the conferences. With approximately 195 families
at Adams, scheduling becomes very complicated. We ask that you make every effort
to attend your conference at the appointed time. Please check the school
calendar in the handbook for specific conference dates. Should the need
arise for a conference at any time during the year,
please do not hesitate to contact your child’s
teacher for an appointment.
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Telephone
Children will be encouraged to use the telephone to inform parents if they
need to remain after school or in cases of emergencies. Social calls by
children cannot be permitted because of the large number of students and
the need to keep the line clear for school business. Children should be
told before they leave home where they are to go after school, whether the
parent will be picking them up or if they may bring a friend home. In the
past, a number of children have made this type of telephone call daily. For
calls placed during the school day, students will receive a "telephone
pass" from their teacher who has helped them determine whether the
call is an emergency or truly necessary.
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Special
Education
Special education services are available for students who possess
individual needs that are difficult to meet with the regular program. We
can, through use of our personnel, provide a free and appropriate education
for the vast majority of our students. If you feel that your child has
special needs and may qualify for special education, please talk to your
child ’s teacher or to the principal.
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Respect
for School Building and Property
Students should practice good housekeeping and tidiness. Students should
develop the attitude that this is their school and they should be proud of
it. Students should not write or doodle on desks. Fines will be given in
cases of willful destruction of texts, materials, equipment and structural
parts of the building. Payment for replacement might be necessary in spite
of high costs–even in certain accidental
situations.
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Substance
Abuse Policy
We
assert that the use and possession of illegal drugs is unacceptable and
harmful behavior. The unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illegal
drugs by students on school premises or at school activities is prohibited.
Disciplinary actions up to and including expulsion and referral for
prosecution will be imposed on students who violate these standards of
conduct. Parents will automatically be informed of any violation and will
be asked to meet with school officials. School officials will determine the
appropriate course of action. Age appropriate information about substance
abuse is available and taught to all students. It is an essential part of
the curriculum. Students requiring or desiring information about available
counseling and rehabilitation programs may contact the school office or a
counselor. Compliance with these standards of conduct is mandatory.
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Albertsons’
Community Partnership Program
Our PTO has involved our school in a program sponsored by Albertsons called
the Community Partnership Program in which Albertson’s
donates to our school a percentage of purchases made by patrons presenting
a "Community Partners Card". These cards are available through
our office and can be used at any Albertsons store anywhere in the United
States. The intent of this program is not to change shopping preferences
but simply to receive credit for purchases from participating patrons. It
has been helpful in raising extra funds for our school.
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Box
Tops for Education
The PTO will continue to save Box Tops from cereal boxes and other select
products from General Mills. We receive 15 cents for each Box Top saved.
Look for the drop off bin located in the school.
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Adams
School Partners
Parent involvement improves a child's achievement. We appreciate and
utilize all parents that are able to tutor, teach, quiz, or just spend time
at the school. Please call and make yourself available. A half hour or an
hour a week is very helpful. We expect to improve our home-school
relationship each year.
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Family
Action Value of the Month Program
The PTO has chosen to take an active role in support of teaching moral
development to all students of Adams Elementary. We will use the suggested
monthly colors and values set by Family Action of Rexburg. We hope to
instill moral development as a positive and wholesome impact on teachers
and students.
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Month
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Color
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Value
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August
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Peach
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Friendship
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September
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Yellow
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Work
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October
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Orange
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Honesty
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November
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Light Blue
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Obedience
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December
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White
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Faith
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January
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Gold
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Education
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February
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Red
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Kindness
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March
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Green
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Responsibility
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April
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Silver
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Respect
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May
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Purple
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Integrity
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June
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Pink
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Trust
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July
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Royal Blue
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Loyalty
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Adams School Calendar 2006-2007
Please watch for notes concerning additions & changes as some dates are
subject to change.
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August
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August 16
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Student Registration
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August 23
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First Day of School, 8:25am (Tardy bell)
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August 30
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Back To School Night 7:00pm
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September
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September 4
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NO SCHOOL – Labor Day Vacation
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September 11
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NO KINDERGARTEN - Kindergarten In-service
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September 21
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Individual Pictures
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September 27
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District In-Service (No School) PTO Read-a-thon begins
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September 27
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Harvest Break Starts
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October
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October 2 - 6
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HARVEST BREAK (No School) & Read-a thon
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October 9
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First day back after harvest.
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October 23 – 25
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PTO Bookfair
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October 26
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2 Hour early dismissal for grades 1 -4 NO KINDERGARTEN
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Parent/Teacher Conference 2:00pm to 8:30pm
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October 27
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Fall Carnival
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November
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November 6
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NO KINDERGARTEN Teacher In-Service
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November 6
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PTO Clean Up Day
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November 16
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Family Reading Night
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November 22
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Early out for Thanksgiving
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November 22-24
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THANKSGIVING VACATION
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November 27
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End of 1st Trimester 2 hour early dismissal for grades 1 –
4
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NO KINDERGARTEN
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December
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December 4
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NO KINDERGARTEN – Teacher In-Service
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December 20
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2 hour early dismissal NO KINDERGARTEN
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Dec 21—Jan 2
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CHRISTMAS VACATION
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January
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January 1
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Christmas Break
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January 2
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District In-Service (No School)
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January 3
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First day back from Christmas vacation
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January 15
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Human Rights Day (No School)
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January 25
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2 Hour early dismissal for grades 1 -4
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NO KINDERGARTEN
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Parent/Teacher Conference 2:00pm to 8:30pm
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February
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February 5
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NO KINDERGARTEN - Teacher In-Service
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February 19
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Presidents Day (No School)
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March
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March 2
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End of 1st Trimester 2 hour early dismissal for grades 1 –
4
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NO KINDERGARTEN
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March 12
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Teacher In-Service Day (No School)
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March 21
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Class Pictures
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April
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Apr 5 – 9
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Spring Break (No School)
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April 10
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Spring Break ends – School Resumes
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April 16
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NO KINDERGARTEN – Inservice
Pre-Registration
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April 16 – 19
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PTO Bookfair
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May
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May 7
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NO KINDERGARTEN – Teacher In-Service
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May 14
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PTO Clean Up Day
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May 18
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Field Day
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May 28
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Memorial Day (No School)
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June
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June 1
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LAST DAY OF SCHOOL End of 3rd Trimester/Early Dismissal
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Placement Policy
Some of you have asked me what my policy is concerning student class
placement for next year. Parents are invited to discuss concerns before
classes are formed for next year.
All written requests must be submitted to our office not later than May
1st. Once classrooms have been balanced it is difficult to make changes.
The final decision with all placements rests with the principal after
consideration of staff recommendations and parents
requests. Consideration of educational, academic, and social factors is the
primary determinants in placement decisions.
Parents wanting special class placement are welcome to make a request in
writing to the principal. Parents may request that a child be placed in a
particular kind of classroom environment. (It might be helpful for you to
describe what type of environment or learning style your child needs)
However, specific individual teacher requests are not accepted.
Considerations will be given to the learning conditions your child
requires.
A written request, or lack of such a request, will have no effect on the
care given to each child's placement.
Parents are cautioned not to request placement or non-placement based on
what they may have heard about a teacher from other parents. Just as each
child is unique, so is each teacher. An experience that other parents may
have had with their children may be totally different from what your
children could have with the same teacher.
Requests for a child not to be placed with another student, for whatever
reason, should be noted in writing to the child's present classroom
teacher. Parents should be aware that other considerations may prevent the
honoring of such requests.
All parents requests will be strongly considered,
but there will be no individual responses. Please do not ask to be called
if your request is not honored.
It is a pleasure working with your children. We have some wonderful
students in our school. We will try to work cooperatively with you in the
placement of your child's teacher. We believe we have an excellent and
dedicated staff.
Adams teachers are individually different, yet each contributes so much to
their students. Problems do not exist between parents and teachers when
both communicate and support one another.
Sincerely,
Jeff Hawkes, Principal
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